ACT Oncology Appoints Tandy Tipps, Ph.D., Formerly of MD Anderson Cancer Center, as Vice President, Phase I Oncology Site Network

FLEMINGTON, NJ--(Marketwired - Mar 11, 2016) -  ACT Oncology, a specialty oncology Clinical Research Organization (CRO), is pleased to announce the appointment of Tandy Tipps, Ph.D., as Vice President, Phase I Oncology Site Network. Dr. Tipps has over 25 years of development and leadership experience in the pharmaceutical, biotech and life sciences industries. Most recently, she was the Department Administrator for the Department of Investigational Cancer Therapeutics at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, where she had oversight of the world's largest Phase I clinical trials program for cancer research and treatment. Tandy has also served as the Global Head of Clinical Affairs/QA at a multinational CRO, where she led the expansion of an international site network to support Phase I-IV programs. 

"Our company is highly focused on optimizing early oncology development," said Patricia Devitt Risse, Pharm. D, CEO and President of ACT Oncology. "Dr. Tipps has been instrumental in enabling the Department of Investigational Cancer Therapeutics at MD Anderson to consistently activate Phase I trials within a 90-day period, from receipt of final protocol. In her new role, she will coordinate an international network of academic and community-based, Phase I oncology sites. She will work with the selected sites to develop and implement systematic processes designed to consistently achieve study activation within a 90-day period. We are thrilled to have Dr. Tipps join our team and are very pleased to offer our Sponsors an accelerated pathway from First-In-Man to Proof-of-Concept."

"A skilled multinational oncology Phase I network will be a win-win for both Sponsors and Sites," said Dr. Tipps. "Sponsors will benefit from an established and geographically balanced core of leading, Phase 1 institutions that can be recruited and activated quickly, therefore accelerating their study timelines. Patients with advanced tumors and participating sites will benefit by having greater opportunity and access to novel agents. I am very satisfied and proud of the processes we implemented at MD Anderson that helped to provide patients greater access to agents otherwise potentially unavailable to them. In my role at ACT Oncology, I look forward to establishing a network of committed and experienced sites that can further expand patient access and clinical trial opportunity for sites. Our ultimate goal is to help our clients accelerate the development of novel oncology agents and make them available to all of the patients that need them."

About ACT Oncology: ACT Oncology is an oncology specialty CRO with a clear and consistent focus on supporting cutting-edge clinical research. Founded in 2000, ACT Oncology leads the industry in the application of metrics-driven project management to optimize multinational oncology drug development. ACT Oncology is recognized for consistent excellence in the management of complex, early development clinical trials in a wide range of solid tumor and hematologic indications. To learn more about ACT Oncology, please visit: www.actoncology.com